It is well known to deliver aerosolized medicaments to a patient via various devices, including nebulizers and aerosol dispensing devices, such as pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers (PMDI's), in order to treat various conditions and diseases, including but not limited to various respiratory conditions and diseases such as asthma. It is also desirable to deliver certain gases, such as oxygen, or vapor of a substance, such an aromatic substance, to a patient having difficulty breathing. In some configurations, the device is configured with a patient interface mouthpiece, which is inserted into the mouth of a user such that the aerosolized medicament can be inhaled into the lungs of the user. In other embodiments, the patient interface is configured as a mask, which typically is fitted around the nose and mouth of the user so as to maximize and ensure inhalation of the aerosolized medicament into the lungs of the user.
These types of patient interfaces may not be ideally suited for certain patients, however, such as infants. Infants tend to reject having a mask positioned over their face and thereby covering their nose and mouth. The infant may become cranky, irritable and prone to crying, which reduces the likelihood of delivering a proper amount of the desired substance, such as a medicament.
In addition, infants up to the age of 18 months are primarily nose breathers. With such patients, the mouth rarely has a role in inhalation except in situations where there is a complete occlusion of the nasal passageways. Moreover, infants are not capable of understanding and/or following instructions to inhale only through their mouth, e.g., if a mouthpiece is introduced therein, and the likelihood of delivering the proper amount of medicament is greatly reduced with such a device. As such, a need remains for an improved device capable of delivering an aerosolized medicament, gas, or other desired substance to the nasal passageways of a patient, particularly infants, without causing anxiety and distress to the patient.